PHILISTIA, PHILISTINES
(Phi·lisʹti·a, Phi·lisʹtines).
During a major part of the Hebrew Scripture period the Philistines occupied the coastal plain of Canaan and were among Israel’s avowed enemies. (Isa. 9:12; 11:14) An uncircumcised (2 Sam. 1:20), polytheistic people (Judg. 16:23; 2 Ki. 1:2; see BAAL-ZEBUB; DAGON), the Philistines superstitiously consulted their priests and diviners to make decisions. (1 Sam. 6:2; compare Isaiah 2:6.) And their warriors, when going into battle, carried idols of their gods. (2 Sam. 5:21) Within their land, known as Philistia (Ex. 15:14; Ps. 60:8; 87:4; 108:9; Isa. 14:29, 31), lay the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath. For centuries each of these cities was ruled over by an axis lord.—Josh. 13:3; 1 Sam. 29:7; see Axis LORDS.
Covering an area from a point near Joppa in the N down to Gaza in the S, Philistia stretched for about fifty miles (80 kilometers) along the Mediterranean Sea (Ex. 23:31), and extended some fifteen miles (24 kilometers) inland. The “sea of the Philistines” evidently refers to the part of the Mediterranean that bordered the coast of Philistia. The sand dunes along the coast penetrate the land for a considerable distance, sometimes for as much as four miles (6.4 kilometers). Apart from this, the region is fertile and supports grain, olive groves and fruit trees.
HISTORY
The island of Crete (usually held to be identical with Caphtor), though not necessarily the original home of the Philistines, was the place from which they migrated to the coast of Canaan. (Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7; see CAPHTOR, CAPHTORIM; CRETE, CRETANS.) Just when this migration began is uncertain. However, as early as the time of Abraham and his son Isaac, Philistines resided at Gerar in southern Canaan. They had a king, Abimelech, and an army under the command of a certain Phicol.—Gen. 20:1, 2; 21:32-34; 26:1-18; see ABIMELECH No. 1 and No. 2.
Some object to the Genesis references to Philistine residence in Canaan, arguing that the Philistines did not settle there until the twelfth century B.C.E. But this objection does not rest on a solid basis. A Dictionary of the Bible, edited by James Hastings (Vol. III, p. 847), comments: “The proofs that the Philistine migration had not begun as early as the time of Abraham are not so decisive as many imagine. Whenever the Philistine settlements began, they probably began on a relatively small scale.” Similarly, The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Vol. IV, p. 2378) observes: “The conjecture that they were Aryan foreigners, arriving in 1200 BC, is not based on any statement of the monuments, but merely rests on a guess which Brugsch subsequently abandoned. It resembles many other supposed discrepancies between Bib[lical] and contemporary records due to the mistakes of modern commentators.”
When Israel left Egypt in 1513 B.C.E. Jehovah chose not to lead the Israelites by way of Philistia (the most direct route from Egypt to the Promised Land), lest they become discouraged because of immediate warfare and decide to return to Egypt. (Ex. 13:17) The Philistines likely would not view the approach of millions of Israelites as mere international traffic, such as normally flowed through their land. They were a settled people, whereas the Sinai region to which Jehovah directed Israel had largely nomadic tribes and many unsettled regions into which Israel could enter without provoking immediate conflict.
At the time aged Joshua apportioned the land W of the Jordan, the Philistine territories were still untouched by the conquest. (Josh. 13:2, 3) Later, however, the men of Judah did capture three of the main Philistine cities, Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron. But this was only a partial victory, for Judah “could not dispossess the inhabitants of the low plain, because they had war chariots with iron scythes.”—Judg. 1:18, 19.
In the time of Judges
For years thereafter the continuance of the Philistines and other peoples in Canaan served to test Israel’s obedience to Jehovah. (Judg. 3:3, 4) Time and again they failed the test by adopting false worship. Therefore Jehovah abandoned the Israelites to their enemies, including the Philistines. (Judg. 10:6-8) But when they cried to him for aid, he mercifully raised up judges to deliver them. (Judg. 2:18) One of these judges, Shamgar, struck down 600 Philistines using a mere cattle goad. (Judg. 3:31) Years later, as had been foretold before his birth, Samson took the “lead in saving Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” (Judg. 13:1-5) Evidence of the extent of Philistine control early in Samson’s judgeship can be seen in that, to avoid trouble, men of Judah on one occasion even delivered up Samson to them.—Judg. 15:9-14.
Samuel, the last of Israel’s judges, witnessed oppression from the Philistines and also shared in defeating them. While he was serving at the tabernacle in Shiloh during the final part of High Priest Eli’s judgeship, the Philistines struck down about 4,000 Israelites in the area of Aphek and Ebenezer. The Israelites then had the sacred Ark brought to the battlefield, thinking that this would bring them victory. The Philistines intensified their efforts. Thirty thousand Israelites were slain and the Ark was captured. (1 Sam. 4:1-11) The Philistines took the Ark to the temple of their god Dagon at Ashdod. Twice the image of this god fell on its face. The second time the idol itself was broken. (1 Sam. 5:1-5) The Ark was then passed from one Philistine city to another. Wherever it went there came to be panic and pestilence. (1 Sam. 5:6-12) Finally, seven months after the capture, the Ark was returned to Israel.—1 Sam. 6:1-21.
Some twenty years later (1 Sam. 7:2) the Philistines marched to Mizpah against the Israelites assembled there in worship at Samuel’s direction. This time Jehovah threw the Philistines into confusion, enabling his people to subdue them. Later, the “cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel kept coming back to Israel from Ekron to Gath.”—1 Sam. 7:5-14.
From Saul’s reign until their subjugation by David
However, this did not end Israel’s difficulties with the Philistines. (1 Sam. 9:16; 14:47) Apparently before Saul’s reign they had established garrisons in Israelite territory. (Compare 1 Samuel 10:5; 13:1-3.) The Philistines were strong enough to prohibit the Israelites from having their own smiths, thereby keeping them disarmed. This also forced the Israelites to go to them to have their agricultural implements sharpened. (1 Sam. 13:19-22) The situation was so severe that even Hebrews sided with the Philistines against fellow Israelites. (1 Sam. 14:21) Nevertheless, with Jehovah’s help, Saul’s first major campaign against the Philistines resulted in Israel’s striking them down from Michmash to Aijalon.—1 Sam. 13:1–14:31; see MICHMAS(H).
Later, upon recovering from this defeat, the Philistines assembled their forces to fight against Israel. The two armies took their position on opposite sides of the low plain of Elah, in Judah. Morning and evening, for forty days, the warrior Goliath emerged from the Philistine camp, challenging Israel to supply a man to fight him in single combat. (1 Sam. 17:1-10, 16) This challenge was answered by the shepherd David, who struck Goliath to the earth with a stone from his sling and used Goliath’s own sword to put him to death. (1 Sam. 17:48-51) The Israelites then pursued the fleeing Philistines, striking them down as far as the cities of Gath and Ekron.—1 Sam. 17:52, 53.
Thereafter David continued waging successful warfare against the Philistines. When he would return from battle, the women, in celebration of the victory, would say: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Sam. 18:5-7; see also 1 Samuel 18:25-27, 30; 19:8.) This caused Saul to become jealous of David, finally resulting in David’s having to run for his life. He fled to the Philistine city of Gath. (1 Sam. 18:8, 9; 20:33; 21:10) There the servants of King Achish appear to have sought David’s death. But by disguising his sanity, he was able to leave the city unharmed. (1 Sam. 21:10-15) Sometime thereafter David, though still pursued by Saul, saved the Judean city of Keilah from Philistine pillagers. (1 Sam. 23:1-12) A later Philistine raid in Israelite territory forced Saul to turn back temporarily from chasing David.—1 Sam. 23:27, 28; 24:1, 2.
Because of continually being hunted by Saul, David again decided to take refuge in Philistine territory. Received favorably by King Achish of Gath, David was given the city of Ziklag. (1 Sam. 27:1-6) A year or two later, when the Philistines were preparing to fight against Saul’s forces, King Achish, believing that David had become “a stench among his people Israel,” invited him to go along. But the other Philistine axis lords did not trust David and, at their insistence, he and his men returned to Philistia. In the ensuing conflict with Israel, the Philistines gained a decisive victory and Saul and three of his sons perished.—1 Sam. 27:12; 28:1-5; 29:1-11; 31:1-13; 1 Chron. 10:1-10, 13; 12:19.
When David was finally anointed as king over all Israel the Philistines invaded the low plain of Rephaim (SW of Jerusalem) but suffered humiliating defeat. (2 Sam. 5:17-21; 1 Chron. 14:8-12) A later Philistine offensive likewise ended in victory for Israel. (2 Sam. 5:22-25; 1 Chron. 14:13-16) During his reign David fought numerous other battles with the Philistines and succeeded in subduing them. On one occasion, however, he nearly lost his life.—2 Sam. 8:1; 21:15-22; 1 Chron. 18:1; 20:4-8.
From Solomon’s reign onward
For years thereafter there is no record of warfare with the Philistines. David’s son Solomon enjoyed a peaceful reign (1037-997 B.C.E.) and his dominions extended as far as the Philistine city of Gaza.—1 Ki. 4:21-25; 2 Chron. 9:26.
Some twenty years after the ten-tribe kingdom came into existence the Philistines occupied Gibbethon, a city in Dan. While trying to take the city, Israel’s King Nadab was killed by Baasha, who subsequently began to reign as king. (Josh. 19:40, 44; 1 Ki. 15:27, 28) Gibbethon was still under Philistine control some twenty-four years later when Omri, army chief of Israel, encamped against it.—1 Ki. 16:15-17.
While Jehoshaphat reigned (936-911 B.C.E.), the Philistines were evidently subject to him, for they brought gifts and tribute. (2 Chron. 17:11) But, during the rule of his son Jehoram, the Philistines and Arabs invaded Judah and carried away considerable spoil from Jerusalem. They also took captive Jehoram’s wives and sons—all except the youngest, Jehoahaz. (2 Chron. 21:16, 17) Decades later Judean King Uzziah successfully warred against the Philistines, capturing Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He even built cities in Philistine territory. (2 Chron. 26:6-8) However, the reign of Uzziah’s grandson Ahaz saw the Philistines capture and take up residence in a number of Israelite cities all the way from the Negeb up to the northern border of the kingdom of Judah. (2 Chron. 28:18) Ahaz’ son Hezekiah, in fulfillment of a prophecy uttered by Isaiah (14:28, 29), struck the Philistines down clear to Gaza.—2 Ki. 18:8.
PROPHETIC REFERENCES
The prophecy of Joel indicated that, because of their selling the “sons of Judah” and the “sons of Jerusalem” to the “sons of the Greeks,” the Philistines would experience like treatment. (Joel 3:4-8) Since the words of the prophet Joel appear to have been recorded in the ninth century B.C.E., the defeats of the Philistines at the hands of Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:6-8) and Hezekiah (2 Ki. 18:8) could have been included in the fulfillment of this prophecy.
However, a larger fulfillment evidently came after the Israelites returned from Babylonian exile. Notes commentator C. F. Keil: “Alexander the Great and his successors set many of the Jewish prisoners of war in their lands at liberty (compare the promise of King Demetrius to Jonathan, ‘I will send away in freedom such of the Judæans as have been made prisoners, and reduced to slavery in our land,’ Josephus, Ant. xiii. 2, 3), and portions of the Philistian and Phœnician lands were for a time under Jewish sway.” (Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament [The Twelve Minor Prophets], Vol. I, p. 224; compare Obadiah 19, 20.) Noteworthy, too, is the fact that Alexander the Great took the Philistine city of Gaza. Many of the inhabitants were slain and the survivors were sold into slavery. A number of other prophecies likewise pointed to the execution of Jehovah’s vengeance upon the Philistines.—Isa. 14:31; Jer. 25:9, 20; 47:1-7; Ezek. 25:15, 16; Amos 1:6-8; Zeph. 2:5; Zech. 9:5-7; for details see ASHDOD; ASHKELON; EKRON; GATH; GAZA No. 1.
At Ezekiel 16:27 “the daughters of the Philistines” are depicted as being humiliated on account of Jerusalem’s loose conduct. (Ezek. 16:2) The reason for this appears to be that Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness to her God Jehovah was without parallel, for the Philistines and other peoples had held fast to the worship of their false gods.—Compare Jeremiah 2:10, 11.